10 super-reliable camping ideas for Memorial Day weekend! Weather forecast is fantastic!

Dad and Drew at Succor Creek State Park ... that'll be popular this weekend! 

Sitting around the campfire is one of life's simple pleasures 

The Owyhees should be a fantastic place to be this weekend. Painted Canyon. 

It'll be a fabulous weekend for running the Bruneau River ... Surf's up baby! 

Hi all,

Memorial Day weekend is upon us! Typically, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer camping season, and I'm sure there will be tons of people heading into the high country this weekend to their favorite camping destinations.

For once, we're going to have great weather for the weekend! Temperatures are forecast to be in the 70's on Friday and Saturday, and 80s on Sunday and Monday in the valleys. Woo hoo! Enjoy the sunshine! We've been waiting and waiting for that!

Because of deep snow in the high country, the best camping destinations are going to be in the lower-elevation areas this weekend. Think Idaho State Parks -- all of their campgrounds are open. Call ahead for reservations. The Owyhee Canyonlands should be fantastic with wildflowers blooming! Low-elevation campgrounds in the Boise, Payette and Sawtooth national forests will be open, and high-elevation spots will be closed. Here is a great roundup of Forest Service campgrounds from Statesman outdoors.

So here are 10+ last-minute camping recommendations for Memorial Day weekend:

• Camping in the Owyhees should be excellent. The snakes may be emerging. See my spring camping blog post for suggestions ... places like Bruneau Dunes State Park, Leslie Gulch, Succor Creek State Park or the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area would all be good bets. See the spring camping post for more info. Be sure to take my Owyhee Canyonlands guide with you for tips on hiking and biking near your camping destinations. 
• Morel mushrooms are popping in the Boise and Payette national forests. Morels are delicious and easy to identify. Look for them above 4,000-foot elevation. See last week's blog post on morel-picking near the Pioneer Fire.  
• Float the Owyhee or Bruneau rivers and go river camping. The Owyhee still has good rafting flows in the 1,750 cfs range, and the Bruneau was running 1,950 cfs today, and probably is coming up with the sunshine melting the snow on Jarbidge Mountain.
• Go car-camping on the North Fork or Middle Fork of the Boise River. The Rabbit Creek Road is open from Idaho City, so you can access the North Fork Boise River campsites from there. If you want to go to Barber Flats and the Middle Fork Boise River, go up via the road to Lucky Peak and Arrowrock Reservoir. 
• Salmon River beaches! A great spring camping location is on the sweet white sandy beaches along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. There are numerous big beaches up there where you can set up a great camp, hang out by the river, do some floating on the Salmon and/or go hiking. Use caution around the Salmon River, though, because the river is running high and climbing at 65,000 cfs! The hike on the Wind River Trail via the Wind River Pack Bridge about 25 miles upstream of Riggins has a number of switchbacks as you climb higher and higher up the Salmon River canyon. The trail eventually leads into the Gospel Hump Wilderness, but you probably won't get that far. That'd be a great hike right now.
• Take a day hike on the front side of the Owyhees ... See my Owyhee Canyonlands guide, available at most outdoor stores and book stores. I'd recommend Little Jacks Creek, the West Fork Shoofly Quick Loop, Between the Creeks, Toy Pass hikes, Reynolds Creek, Wilson Creek, Jump Creek Canyon or Wildcat Canyon. 
• Head up to the Lochsa River and go rafting on the biggest whitewater weekend of the year on the Lochsa.  
• Stay home and hike/ride/run in the Boise Foothills - It's super green, the wildflowers are out, and the trails are in great shape!  
• Stay close to home and go for a road bike ride. See my Boise Road Cycling Guide for ideas. 
• Stay close to home and check out the Memorial Day sales at your favorite local outdoor stores. There are usually some great deals to be had, at up to 50% discounts! 

There you have it! Have a great weekend no matter what you do! 

- SS 

Weather looks grand for Memorial Day weekend; Tips on where to go camping!

Classic car camping scenario in the Boise National Forest near Idaho City

Camping along the North Fork Boise River  

Fishing on the Middle Fork is better than the North Fork (Boise NF photo)

Salmon River beach scene - can't go wrong! 

Leslie Gulch is a scenic wonder. Great place to hike and camp. 

Hiking above Succor Creek State Park ... Steve and Drew 

Hi all,

Well, the weather looks great for Memorial Day weekend -- no rain in the forecast -- but it will be on the cool side at night (temperatures near or below freezing), especially in the Stanley and McCall areas, so be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes for the campout.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer camping season for many of us. Assuming you're thinking about where to go camping this weekend, here are my recommendations:

• Developed campgrounds or self-support dispersed camping sites along the North Fork of the Boise River and Middle Fork of the Boise River will be a great location this weekend. Temperatures are forecast to reach into the 70-degree range in Idaho City, so that'll be perfect for hiking, biking, fishing morel-hunting or hanging out in camp! All of the key access roads to reach the North Fork and Middle Fork are open. The Edna Creek Road to Atlanta also was just opened this week. 
• Salmon River beach camping near Riggins - This is a great spot for hanging out on the spacious white sandy beaches on the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins along the Salmon River Road. Get there early. These spots are choice, so they are popular! Take your kayaks or rafts and do day trips on the Salmon River while you're in the hood. The Salmon River was running 26,000 cfs as of today ... 
• Camping in the Owyhees or in the Snake River canyon should be great. Places like Bruneau Dunes State Park, Leslie Gulch, Succor Creek State Park, Celebration Park or the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area would all be prime this weekend. See my Owyhee Canyonlands guidebook for details on visiting all of these areas.
• Stay home and go hiking/riding or running in the Boise Foothills - Trail conditions are perfect in the Boise footies, the flowers are still happening and it's velvety green everywhere. See my Boise Trail Guide for ideas on where to go. 

See the Idaho Statesman's latest camping guide, published on Wednesday, for a rundown on some of their staff members' favorite camping locations in SW and Central Idaho. They also detailed what campgrounds are open or closed at this time of year.

In general, snow levels are at 6,500 to 7,000 feet in the mountains of SW Idaho and Central Idaho. In the Payette National Forest, there is still three feet of snow at Upper Payette Lake campground, and five feet of snow at Lick Creek Summit. Valley County apparently is working on opening the road to Burgdorf Hot Springs as we speak.

In the Sawtooth Valley, the valley itself has been clear of snow for several weeks, but once you get into the forest, you are likely to run into snow quickly. Check with the Stanley Ranger Station 774-3000 if you want more details.

Have a great campout!
- SS  

Don't forget the BIG TARP! Nine last-minute outdoor tips for Memorial Day weekend

The Owyhees near Leslie Gulch (courtesy WildOwyhee)

If you do go camping in the mountains, bring a big tarp! Party under the tarp! 

View toward Silver City from Toy Pass, near Oreana, Owyhee Mountains 

Camping on the big white sandy beaches on the Salmon river is deluxe! 

Lochsa River madness! 

Hi all,

Memorial Day weekend is upon us! Typically, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer camping season, and I'm sure there will be tons of people heading into the high country this weekend to their favorite camping destination.

And, as often happens on Memorial Day weekend, the weather forecast this year calls for scattered rain showers in the mountains. Sixty percent chance Friday, 50 percent chance Saturday, and less chance Sunday and Monday. If you're heading into the mountains near Cascade, McCall, Idaho City, Stanley or Ketchum/Sun Valley, bring a BIG TARP! Make sure your tent is rain-worthy.

Looking south to the Owyhees, I see more favorable forecasts for the Grand View and Marsing areas in the front side of the Owyhees. I see a 40 percent chance of scattered showers Friday, 30 percent chance Sunday, and only 20 percent chance on Monday. Deeper in the desert, I see higher chances of rainfall in Jordan Valley, Oregon.

I see a similar forecast for Riggins, with a 60 percent chance of showers on Friday, 50 percent chance of thundershowers on Saturday, and 30 percent chance on Monday.

So here's some last-minute camping recommendations for Memorial Day weekend, tailored to the weather:

• Camping in the Owyhees should be good, but be forewarned, the rattlesnakes are emerging. See my spring camping blog post from March ... places like Bruneau Dunes State Park, Leslie Gulch, Succor Creek State Park or the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area would all be good bets.
• Morel mushrooms are popping in the Boise and Payette national forests. Morels are delicious and easy to identify. Look for them above 5,000-foot elevation. Take a day trip to Smith's Ferry, Cascade or McCall and hunt for morels. 
• Salmon River beaches! A great spring camping location is on the HUGE white sandy beaches along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. There are numerous big beaches up there where you can set up a great camp, hang out by the river, do some floating on the Salmon and/or go hiking. The hike on the Wind River Trail via the Wind River Pack Bridge about 25 miles upstream of Riggins has a number of switchbacks as you climb higher and higher up the Salmon River canyon. The trail eventually leads into the Gospel Hump Wilderness, but you probably won't get that far. That'd be a great hike right now.
• If you're in the Riggins area, the day hike up Rapid River is a sweet one. The trailhead is about two miles south of Riggins. 
• Take a day hike on the front side of the Owyhees ... See my Owyhee Canyonlands guide, available at most outdoor stores and book stores. I'd recommend Little Jacks Creek, the West Fork Shoofly Quick Loop, Between the Creeks, Toy Pass hikes, Reynolds Creek, Wilson Creek, Jump Creek Canyon or Wildcat Canyon. The roads could be iffy depending on how much it rains, so exercise good judgment. 
• Head up to the Lochsa River and go rafting on the biggest whitewater weekend of the year on the Lochsa.  
• Stay home and hike/ride/run in the Boise Foothills - Trails are drying out pretty quick after the rain. Check on the Ridge to Rivers web site or Boise Foothills Trail Conditions page on Facebook to check on the latest trail conditions before you go. Stick to the sandy trails. 
• Stay close to home and go for a road bike ride. See my Boise Road Cycling Guide for ideas. 
• Stay close to home and check out the Memorial Day sales at your favorite local outdoor stores. Idaho Mountain Touring is having a tent sale (20-50% off), McU Sports is having a 20% sale, Boise REI is having a 30% sale, Sierra Trading Post is having a 40-80% sale, and I'm sure I'm overlooking some other sales.  

There you have it! Have a great weekend no matter what you do! 

- SS 

10 rock-solid ideas for camping and outings over Memorial Day weekend in SW Idaho

Always great to get the kids out camping in the mountains 

Time to pull out the Dutch oven! 

We love to camp so we can relax in camp and shoot the bull ... 

Salmon River beach scene! Won't need the sun tarp this time of year ... 

Morels are happening! 

Hi all,

The weather looks pretty darn nice for Memorial Day weekend! Highs in the mid-70s to 80s in the lower elevations, and highs in the high 60s and low 70s in the mountains. Very little chance of precipitation. So, hey, time to load up the rig with all of your camping gear for the official launch of the camping season over Memorial Day weekend.

The Idaho Statesman outdoors team pulled together a nice summary of the camping, road and trail conditions in the Boise, Payette and Sawtooth national forests in today's paper. The upshot seems to be that trails, roads and campgrounds below 6,500-foot elevation are open for Memorial Day weekend activities, and sites above that elevation are more iffy or closed by snow. Bull Trout Lake is closed by snow, for example, and so are Deadwood Reservoir and the Trinity Mountains.

Here are my 10 rock-solid ideas for Memorial Day camping and outings:

• Camping in the Owyhees should be fine, but be forewarned, the rattlesnakes are emerging. See my spring camping blog post from March ... places like Bruneau Dunes State Park, Leslie Gulch, Succor Creek State Park or the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area would all be good bets. 
• Camping near Idaho City should be great. Take the Rabbit Creek Road into the North Fork of the Boise River or the Middle Fork of the Boise River. There are tons of self-support dispersed camping areas in both river corridors. Keep an eye on your kids. The rivers are running high. 
• Camping near Stanley should be fine, too, at low elevations. Stanley Lake Campground is open. So are the campgrounds at the ever-popular Redfish Lake and vicinity. Can't beat the view!   
• Morel mushrooms are popping up in the Boise National Forest and Payette National Forest. Morels are delicious and easy to identify. Look for them between 4,500 and 5,500 elevation. Might be good pickings in the Pony and Elk complex fire zones from last summer, but not sure how much of that is accessible to the public.  
• Another cool spring camping location is on the HUGE white sandy beaches along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. There are numerous big beaches up there where you can set up a great camp, hang out by the river, do some floating on the Salmon and/or go hiking. The hike on the Wind River Trail via the Wind River Pack Bridge about 25 miles upstream of Riggins has a number of switchbacks as you climb higher and higher up the Salmon River canyon. The trail eventually leads into the Gospel Hump Wilderness, but you probably won't get that far. That'd be a great hike right now.
• If you're in the Riggins area, the hike up Rapid River is a sweet one, too. The trailhead is about two miles south of Riggins. I just saw some beautiful photos from some folks who went backpacking in the Rapid River last weekend. 
• Camping in Lake Cascade State Park should be dandy as well. If you go to Cascade, the Crown Point Trail is a great family friendly hike or bike ride for all abilities and ages. It's about 3 miles one-way to a temporary dead-end, and 3 miles back. You also can go biking or hiking on the The Strand, a two-mile trail along the North Fork of the Payette River in Cascade. Very pretty spot, and it's next to Kelly's Whitewater Park. 
• Idaho has lots of great state parks! Visit the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation web site to check out the camping opportunities. I've mentioned Lake Cascade and Bruneau Dunes, but there's also Three Island Crossing State Park, Ponderosa State Park and Thousand Springs State Park to consider in SW Idaho.  

Those are a few ideas to chew on ... Have fun!
- SS